Tejashwi Yadav appears before ED for questioning in money-laundering case

Former Bihar deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav on Tuesday appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for questioning in a money-laundering case linked to the alleged land-for-jobs scam, a day after his father and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav appeared before the agency.

He arrived at the ED’s office in Patna at 11:25am as his supporters shouted slogans against the ED and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The former deputy chief minister, who was questioned for eight hours in April 2023 in the case, ignored ED’s summons on December 22, saying the notice issued in this regard was a routine affair.

The alleged scam pertains to railways appointments allegedly in return for land for the Yadav family between 2004 and 2009 when the RJD chief was a Union minister.

ED is conducting a probe based on a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) first information report. The federal agency on January 9 said it has found proceeds of crime worth ₹600 crore and filed the first charge sheet in the case, naming RJD chief’s wife and former chief minister Rabri Devi and their daughters, Misa and Hema Yadav, among the seven accused.

CBI filed its charge sheet in the case in October 2022. A Delhi court granted bail to RJD chief, Rabri Devi, Misa, and others in the CBI case in March last year.

ED on Monday questioned the RJD chief for 10 hours amid protests with the RJD alleging misuse of central agencies ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

RJD leader Manoj Jha said the actions of central agencies will continue until the next general elections are concluded.

BJP spokesperson Nikhil Anand on Monday accused the Yadav family of corruption and said they were attacking the central government to divert attention from the case.